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I am a sucker for anything peach. Peaches bring back memories of our back yard as a kid and laying under the peach tree. We spent many hours waiting anxiously for those peaches to get ripe. When they finally were we would pick them and eat them right then and there with the juice running down our chin and arms. That one small gnarled tree gave us bushels of peaches every year. I still wait anxiously for peach season to arrive. A fresh peach smoothie is the best way to bring back those days of summer. Fresh peaches mixed with milk and a protein powder is delicious and nutritious. I also like to use frozen peaches just because it makes it nice and cold.

Peel and slice peaches

Make sure your peaches are ripe. They should be soft to the touch but firm, and have a strong peach smell. Wash the peaches then cut them in half. Remove peels with a paring knife, a ripe peach peel should come off easily. Remove the pit, a freestone peach pit will remove easily otherwise cut the peach meat away from the stone. Slice the peaches.

Combine ingredients

In a blender pour 1 cup of milk or milk alternative, (fresh half and half or coconut cream can be used to make it extra creamy) Add your favorite protein powder and the prepared peach slices. Add several cubes of ice. Pulse in the blender a few times then puree in blender until smooth.

Pour smoothie in glass

Once the smoothie is well blended. Pour into a glass and enjoy the fresh flavor of summer. The thick creamy mixture will replenish your body and your soul. This makes a great breakfast drink and a cool afternoon pick me up. This would be extra good poured over some diced peaches for variety.

Belgian waffles are wonderful all by themselves, but when you add ice cream and fruit they become extra special birthday waffles. I made these for my kids on their birthday. Even after they were grown and out of the house they thought I should come and make them for them. It was always so fun to start of their special day with a birthday waffle piled high with ice cream, fresh fruit, whipped cream, sprinkles and, of course, a candle.

One year when my middle child was turning 10, we were traveling to Lake Tahoe with my sister and her kids. We were in Winnemucca, Nevada at breakfast time and we went in search of breakfast waffles. We went to several restaurants looking for one that had waffles with ice cream we finally found a cute little cafe. With 5 kids in tow we went in and had a birthday breakfast party with birthday waffles. They all still remember this fun day.

The secret to true Belgium waffles is whipped egg whites. Start with separating the egg yolks from the egg whites. Place the yolks and white in separate bowls. You can buy fancy egg separators however I have found that the egg shell is by far the best tool.

Be sure no yellows are in the bowl, any yolk will prevent the whites from fluffing. Once the whites are separated, whip with a whisk until soft peaks form. This will take several minutes if done by hand. It can also be done with a mixer that has whisk attachments.

When you have whipped the egg whites to soft peaks, fold into the prepared batter. Gently fold eggs over batter by hand until eggs are fully incorporated. DO NOT beat the batter at this point as it will break down the fluffy egg whites. Gentle folding is all that is needed.

Preheat waffle iron. When it is hot pour on the batter. It is best to spray the iron with nonstick spray to prevent sticking. Close the lid and let the waffle cook until golden brown. This takes several minutes depending on your waffle iron. I like my standard Belgium waffle iron, the new fancy ones that flip just take up too much space. TIP: The lid will not lift easily if the waffle is not done. So, if the lid sticks do not try to force it open or your waffle will separate into pieces.

Waffles are delicious any way you choose to top them. Plain with just syrup or all decked out for birthday waffles.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

½ teaspoon salt

3 large eggs, separated

2 cups milk

¼ cup melted butter

Instructions

Separate egg yolks from egg whites.

In a small bowl, whisk egg whites until soft peaks form.

Combine flour, sugar, cream of tartar and salt on a mixing bowl.

In another bowl combine the egg yolks, milk and butter, mix to combine.

Stir the milk mixture into the dry ingredients stir until just moistened.

If 1 /12 cups of batter is too much reduce amount of batter for next waffle.

Notes

Any fruit goes well with these. Fresh sliced peaches in the fall, warm cinnamon apples in the winter and berries for spring and summer. Whatever is your favorite or what is available for the season, it will make your day special.

I love blueberry pancakes. This version of gluten free blueberry pancakes puts all others to shame. I order blueberry pancakes anytime I am at a restaurant that serves them. The warm berries pop in your mouth with juicy blueberry-ness and the sweet maple syrup adds to the blueberry tangy flavor. I thought blueberry pancakes always had blueberries inside the pancake. One time at a restaurant in the middle of Nebraska I ordered blueberry pancakes and I specifically asked if the blueberries were inside and the waitress told me yes. I was more than irritated when the blueberry pancakes arrived with blueberry filling on top of my pancakes and NO blueberries inside of the pancakes. I was so irritated I just ate them.

Here is a perfect gluten free version of homemade blueberry pancakes with fresh plump blueberries inside. The batter is made with fresh buttermilk, which makes a light and fluffy pancake, I used all-purpose gluten free flour in place of regular flour and the flavor was amazing, no hint of pastiniess as is sometimes the case when it is gluten free. Topped with fresh plump berries, baked in to the pancake, this was truly an all you can eat pancake delight.

What would gluten free pancakes be without fresh plump juicy blueberries? Wash, remove stems and leaves and any bruised fruit then let dry before sprinkling on batter.

Gluten free blueberry pancakes start with all purpose gluten free flour. Mix dry ingredients together to incorporate, then add the melted butter, whisk egg and milk. Stir to mix thoroughly. It is ok if the batter is a bit lumpy. If it is too thick add a bit of milk until it becomes a pourable consistency. Thin enough to pour but not so thick it won’t spread out. Heat up griddle to medium-high or 350 degrees. Spray with non-stick spray. To test the griddle is hot enough drop a few drops of water they should sizzle and evaporate in a few seconds. Pour out 1/2-3/4 batter depending on how big you want them. Watch for bubbles to form before adding blueberries.

Once the edges of the pancake start to look dry, gently lift edge to see if it is turning brown. If not let is set a few minutes, if it is then carefully flip it over. It works best if the flipper is more than 75% under the pancake. Allow this side to cook until it is no longer doughy. The top should be firm when touched. Invert onto a plate, pile high with several pancakes at a time. Go for the tall stack. Add butter and fresh maple syrup for the ultimate in breakfast foods

This berry blueberry smoothie bowl is so delicious, Blueberries, blackberries raspberries and strawberries, mixed with chia seeds, hemp seeds and protien powder is a great way to start your day. Top this with bananas and walnuts and you will be ready to face your day full of energy that lasts. Chia seeds have sustainable energy are full of fiber and protien, they also contain omega 3 and are full of antioxidants. Hemp seeds are loaded with omega 6 and omega 3 they are high in protien (1 tbl =3-4 grams approximately). Berries are packed with phytochemicals and nano-nutrients that you can not get elsewhere, so load up your daily smoothie with these delicious nutrient dense ingredients and you will feel better and be healthier.

First steps to you blueberry smoothie. Wash and dry, the berries. Add 1 cup of unsweetened fruit juice to blender. Add chia seeds, hemp seeds and protien powder. I also add a handful of walnuts for the healthy polyunsaturated oils they contain. Blend until well mixed. If needed a a small amount of juice to allow blender to mix completely. Unless you have a super blender all the seeds will not get chopped smoothly, so this is a bit chewy. I think this adds to the nutty healthiness of the smoothie.

After blending ingredients in the blender pour into a bowl that will hold about 2 cups. Top with sliced bananas, walnuts halves, blueberries and a strawberry. Then sit down, relax a few minutes and spoon in the bounty of natural goodness in a bowl. The berry smoothie mixed with bananas, walnuts and blueberry is so satisfying. The long lasting energy in this bowl will make you want to run through your day smiling on every one you see.

Paleo blueberry muffins, hot from the oven with juicy blueberries that pop in your mouth is a morning delight. Since my earliest memories homemade blueberry muffins were a common breakfast item in my house. My aunt lived outside of Seattle Washington when I was a child and she would often ship us a box of fresh blueberries. 40 years ago fresh blueberries were unheard of in Utah so when we opened that box we were in heaven. I have created a paleo free version of blueberry muffins that is so delicious you will never know it is gluten free.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt together in a mixing bowl. Create a deep well (indentation) in the center of the flour.

Combine dry ingredients, add wet ingredients

The standard for making muffins is to make a well in the flour then pour the wet ingredients into the well. Beat the eggs, melt the coconut oil. Pour the milk, eggs and oil into the well.

Combine with a fork

Using a fork gently fold the wet ingredients over the dry.

Gently stir together

The secret to tender flaky muffins is to not over mix the batter. When most of the flour is combined, but batter is still lumpy with dry areas of flour. You are done, STOP mixing. Resist the urge to keep mixing in the flour. The flour will get absorbed during the cooking process.

Add blueberries

Once the batter is blended, put the blueberries on top. DO NOT MIX IN. At this point you are going to scoop the batter in the muffin tins.

Scoop batter into tins

As you scoop the batter into the tins the berries with get mixed in. The reason for doing this is to prevent to blueberries from turning the batter blue and ending up with BLUE berry muffins. If needed you can fold the batter on top of its self in tin. This would be necessary it there were not any berries inside the batter only on top or on bottom, as you scoop the batter.

Bake in 350° oven

Bake the muffins in a 350° oven for 15-18 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Let cool 10 minutes before removing from tins. Especially if you did not use muffing papers.

Ingredients

2 cups gluten free all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons raw honey

2 eggs beaten

1 cup milk alternative

3 tablespoons coconut oil melted

1 cup fresh blueberries

Instructions

In mixing bowl add flour, salt and baking soda, stir to combine.

Form a deep well in the center of the flour mixture.

Beat the eggs, and melt the coconut flour.

Combine milk and honey, stir until honey is mixed in.

In flour well, pour milk mixture, then egg mixture.

Using a fork gently fold the flour over the wet ingredients.

Do this until a lumpy batter forms with areas of dry flour. DO NOT continue to mix.

As a youngster, I would watch TV shows and someone was always making a green smoothie drink, usually with raw eggs and grass. I always cringed, who would want to drink anything GREEN??? As my taste buds have matured and I have chosen a healthier lifestyle, green smoothies are a daily necessity. I do not start my day without my green smoothie to get my mind and body moving.

This one is a tropical delight that reminds me of sitting in a beach side restaurant with the ocean breeze blowing in. I had no worries and planned to just enjoy life on island time.

In blender combine, coconut milk, spinach, mango and pineapple. I used frozen since that is what I usually have on hand. Fresh makes this even more delightful. In this modern era, you can buy fresh fruit already cut, so I like to use those when I can.

Pulse a few times to chop up the chunks of fruit, then blend on high until completely smooth. It will be a beautiful green, the aroma of coconut, pineapple and mango will instantly relax your mind. Top it off with an umbrella and forget about your schedule for a few minutes

This is a fresh alternative to breakfast, strawberry smoothie bowl with yogurt. Strawberries blended in a smoothie, then served in a bowl with fresh homemade granola and a dollop of yogurt. This smoothie bowl is a way to kick start your day, better than your usual cornflakes breakfast.

In blender combine, milk (or milk alternative) add 5-6 whole strawberries stems and leaves included, add a tsp of honey to sweeten it just a bit. Pulse until strawberries are chopped up then blend on high until completely smooth.

Pour the smoothie mix in a bowl, sprinkle with granola, a few dollops of greek yogurt and top with sliced strawberries.

have found that a smoothie bowl is an enjoyable way to start your day, taking the time to sit and eat your breakfast gives you time to reflect on your day before running off at warp speed. The taste and textures really give your mind and body a energy boost.